Dear Dick in Wallingford,

I feel your pain.  Want of a dishwasher was the motivation for my own kitchen remodel, as well as for several of our clients over the years.  So many homes built 6 to 10 decades ago beg the question-  What in the world were they thinking when they designed this kitchen?  It doesn't seem like the builders had cooks in mind, let alone the poor guy left washing the dishes after Thanksgiving dinner.

Here are some things to consider regarding both problems you mention, adding a dishwasher, and your stove being positioned next to the refrigerator.  First, the energy efficiency issue is probably less of a problem than the lack of counter space next to either appliance.  Safety and convenience suggest there be at least a little counter space on each side of the cooktop or range.  Similarly, you should have a counter next to the refrigerator and food storage cabinets to make it more efficient to put away groceries. 

As for the dishwasher, it's hard to say how difficult it might be to squeeze it in.  If your cabinets and counters are a standard 24 inches deep, then the challenge may be surmountable.  You'll have to alter the cabinets to create a 24 inch wide space and get the space wired and plumbed.  The plumbing can be done fairly easily - if the dishwasher is located near the sink, you can probably connect both water supply and drain lines to the plumbing underneath the sink.  And if you can't get a new dedicated circuit to the appliance (easier if there is a crawlspace or unfinished basement below), you may be able to pull power from a nearby outlet. 

If a standard dishwasher won't fit, I'd suggest you take a long hard look at whether you should consider a full kitchen remodel.  A remodel involving your idea of combining the dining room and kitchen could be fantastic, but there are a lot of things to consider, both structurally and with space planning.  Questions to consider include:

- Is the wall structurally bearing?
- Will I lose anything, like cabinet/counter space, by removing the wall?
- How can I tie the floors and other finishes together so this doesn't look tacked together?
- Is this architecturally appropriate for a home of this vintage? 
 
Hiring a professional is almost imperative for a project as complex as a kitchen remodel - a designer or architect could save you from making some very expensive mistakes.  Another idea is hiring a design/build firm.  Design/Build combines design, budgeting, and construction in one seamless process.  The result is a team of professionals working to design the project you want for a budget you help determine. 

This information is submitted by Jackson Remodeling on behalf of the Master Builders Association.  For more information on the Master Builders Association, go to www.masterbuildersinfo.com.  For a look at a similar project that Jackson Remodeling completed, click on similar projects.  To visit Jackson Remodeling online, go to www.jacksonremodeling.com.  

One of my favorite kitchen remodels was for a woman who bought a house in Wallingford and wanted an estimate on ways to improve her kitchen.  She wanted a dishwasher and granite countertops.  Her base cabinets were only 20 inches deep, making it impossible to install a standard dishwasher.  And her wall cabinets were mounted only ten inches above the countertops, 18 inches is standard. 

She considered a complete kitchen remodel and we set about tackling two major challenges, adding counters where no extra space existed and working with a fairly modest budget.  I think our approaches to both challenges do a good job of illustrating how design/build is supposed to work.

Too many doorways, not enough room for cabinet spaces and too many passage ways. Eliminating the seldom-used side door allowed us to lengthen the wall where the sink belonged and correct those problems.

A project can be hindered by one key idea, an existing element the owner assumes must remain.  Once we embrace the idea of change, the rest of the design usually falls into place.  Try to keep an open mind.

The budget issue called for some serious "value engineering," to maximize our client's return on her investment.  This homeowner had very definite ideas about how she wanted her kitchen to look.  Our challenge was to suggest affordable ways to achieve her objective, like the use of manufactured stone countertops costing half as much as granite.  

We kept the original oak floors and much of the original plaster, and stock modular cabinets.  Our client was thrilled with the results.  She moved out of the area shortly thereafter and realized a significant gain on her home investment.  We were able to deliver quality and value on a modest budget.

For more information on the Master Builders Association, go to www.masterbuildersinfo.com.  Thanks to our friends at Jackson Remodeling for their ideas on this project.